Peas is one of those things you love or hate. My MOST POPULAR RECIPE OF ALL TIME is my hamburger and peas recipe.

If you love peas, you also know they brighten up a lot of dishes, like stews, meat pies and are a great accompaniment to starches such as boiled potatoes, rice or pasta.

Peas paired with some crispy bacon, sauteed shallots, some parmesan cheese wake macaroni up, not just in taste but also in looks, because this dish is appetizing.

Frozen peas work the best and are thrown into the pasta while still frozen. The bacon gives the peas flavor and half should be reserved to add at the end (to have some crispy).

As far as using butter or olive oil, both fat choices work, or use both like I do, and as I always say, don’t forget the pasta broth, which serves as a thickner.

Ingredients

• Pasta
• Peas
• Bacon
• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Parmesan or Pecorino
• Pasta Water
• Shallots

Recipes Where Peas Shine

• Italian Ground Beef, Onion, Peas
• Veal Stew with Purple Peas and Potatoes
• Peas with Ricotta Appetizer
• Salmon with Tarragon Peas Sauce

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Pasta Peas and Bacon

Easy Tasty Pasta, Peas and Bacon with Shallots, Pecorino Cheese

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Keyword bacon, pasta, peas

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound pasta
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 slices thick bacon
• 2 shallots chopped
• 3 cups frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• pecorino cheese
• pasta water as needed
• salt, pepper for seasoning

Instructions

• Cook pasta according to instructions.
• In large frying pan crispy bacon. Depending on what bacon you use, save just one tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan.
• Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. You will add bacon at end.
• Add shallot to bacon grease. saute for five minutes until softened, stirring.
• Add frozen peas and continue to cook on medium heat until peas are cooked through.
  
• Once pasta is cooked through add to frying pan with a little bit of the pasta water. Add in each tablespoon of butter, and olive oil, more if needed.
• Add bacon, pecorino cheese and toss. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Keep in mind bacon and pecorino are already salty.
  

The post Pasta, Peas and Bacon appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

The Entrecotê must be good, because there is always a line, and the sauce is a secret. So secret, in fact, that many chefs on line have tried to figure it out and come up with their own versions. It seems that no matter what recipe they use, they all love their version.

I tried a version and thought it was so good, I wanted to share it with you.

Stephane of the French Cooking Academy has an “almost” recipe he got from a Paris cookbook, which is delicious. By the way follow his youtube channel if you want to learn how to cook French food without intimidation. I’ve made a few of the dishes and will probably make many more.

Maybe when I get back to Paris, I’ll try the real thing and let you know. In the meantime, while it’s not the exact steak sauce, it’s delicious and worthy.

After making this green entrecotê steak sauce three times, I put my own spin on it, adding in a lot more parsley, which is what makes the sauce more green and I think more appetizing. Some other chefs have made the sauce adding in walnuts and a few other things like capers. I may try a version with walnuts in the future.

Don’t limit this entrecotê green sauce to steak. I noticed during a dinner everyone was also putting the sauce on these crispy smashed potatoes. Now that’s a match.

Ingredients for Entrecote

• 1 cup chopped parsley (measured after chop)
• 2 stems thyme
• 2 stems rosemary (or tarragon)
• 1/2 cup salted butter (use good butter)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 large shallots
• black pepper
• umami seasoning (option, but great addition) This one is from Trader Joe’s

The process is very easy. Just make sure to get all of your ingredients together, chopped, measured and ready before you cook your steak. While your steak is cooking, especially if you do reverse sear, you can make the sauce. If prepped, it will take you less than ten minutes.

However, you can make this ahead of time and gently reheat.

Freeze

I tested this out and you can freeze this sauce and gently reheat. You may need to add a tablespoon of cream.

Great Steak Recipes from Spinch Tiger

• The Perfect New York Strip Steak Recipe, Pan-Fried, Oven-Roasted (Sear and Roast Method).
• Perfect Ribeye Steak (pan fried, roasted)
• Reverse Sear Tomahawk Steak
• Teres Major (a more affordable cut of meat that mocks filet)
• Tenderloin Tails

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Entrecote Sauce

Course Sauce

Cuisine French

Keyword entrecote sauce, french sauce

Ingredients

• 2 handfulls parsley 1 cup, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 large shallots
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs rosemary finely chopped
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon umami powder
• salt, pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

• Put butter, shallots, herbs umami powder, dash salt, into a sauce pan. Heat on very low for five minutes.
• Allow to sit off stove for five minutes. Add heavy cream. Add lemon juice.
• Blend in a blender until smooth.
• Season with salt, pepper to taste.
• Serve immediately. If you can't keep it warm or gently reheat when your food is ready.

The post Entrecotê Steak Sauce (my version) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This blueberry compote is made with pears, shallots, a dash of cinnamon, a touch of rosemary, and is like a savory fruit jam. It pairs perfectly with this grilled salmon, and I’ve also used it for savory meatballs.

Why You Need this Recipe for a Savory Blueberry Compote

You need this recipe for salmon with a savory blueberry compote, because if you’re like me, you need a new way to bring salmon to the table. We eat a lot of salmon and I like to change my recipe up depending on the season. This is a perfect summer approach.

Ingredients

• Salmon
• Blueberries
• Shallots
• Pear
• Cinnamon
• Rosemary Sprig

More Salmon Dishes from Spinach Tiger

• Salmon Kabobs
• Tuscan Salmon
• Spicy Mayo Salmon
• Salmon Tacos with Mango Salsa
• How to Prepare Salmon Easily
• Salmon with Pasta

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Salmon with Blueberry Compote

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Keyword blueberry compote, salmon

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Salmon Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Savory Blueberry Compote

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium pear peeled, cored, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar or Swerve for sugar free
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salmon

• 4 salmon filets

Instructions

Compote Instructions

• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in medium pan. Add shallots, pear and blueberries until cooked through about one minute.
• Add white vinegar, sweetener, cinnamon, dash salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, continue to cook for about 6-8 minutes, and mash to make a compote consistency.

Salmon Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (180 C).
• Dry salmon with paper towels. Take out of fridge 30 minutes in advance if you have the time. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add a small amount of oil to a pre-heated frying pan.
• Add salmon steaks skin side down, and cook on medium for 4-5 minutes. Salmon should easily release to turn over.
• Place pan in oven for another 3-4 minutes.
• Serve with compote.

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The post Salmon with Savory Blueberry Compote appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This is naturally low carb, gluten free and keto friendly.

This sound fancy and it’s bit of a dress up salad, but this class frisee salad is bistro salad and easy to make at home. This salad works because it has texture, a bit of sweet, bitter, creamy, crunchy and salty.

It’s very typical to see a frisée salad with lardons and poached eggs on the menu in a French bistro.

What are Lardons?

A lardon, is a small strip or cube of fatty bacon. Cut thick bacon in half inch pieces crosswise. Fry them after cutting them. Drain on paper towels.

How to Make Red Wine Shallot Vinaigrette

When you make a vinaigrette, it’s important to make it sharp enough to bring brightness and enough acid to the salad. Taste a small amount with a spoon, but keep it mind it will be assimilated into the rest of the ingredients. Take a small pice of lettuce and dip it into your red wine shallot vinaigrette and use a little salt to taste. Always mix your mustard and acids first and slow add the oil. You can also shake all of this in a jar.

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1/4 red wine vinegar
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 to 3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt
• pepper

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More Salads from Spinach Tiger

• Summer Salad with Blackberry, Corn, Vinaigrette
• Brussels Sprouts Salad
• Blackberry Honey Baked Goat Cheese Salad
• Wedge Salad

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Frisee Salad with Poached Egg, Red Wine Shallot Vinaigrette

Classic French Frisee Salad as Starter or Light Dinner

Course Salad and Salad Dressing

Cuisine French

Keyword Frisee, Poached Eggs

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 head Friseé
• 2 Poached Eggs
• 3 pieces thick bacon
• Red Wine Vinaigrette

Red Wine Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 lemon (juice)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil could add 1/4 cup more if needed
• salt, pepper to season

Instructions

• Cut bacon (lardons) Into half inch pieces. Fry and drain on paper towels.
• Prepare Vinaigrette
• Arrange Frisee in bowl.
• Toss with Vinaigrette, just enough until wet. Don't over do it.
• Add Poached Eggs.

Red Wine Shallot Vinaigrette

• Mix mustard with vinegar, shallots, lemon juice.
• Slowly add in oil.

Notes

Vinegar: You can use champagne or sherry vinegar in place of red wine vinegar. Don’t use apple cider or balsamic for this recipe.

The post Friseé Salad with Poached Egg, Red Wine Shallot Vinaigrette appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Tired of the same old recipes, spoon some bacon jam on your veggies, your seafood and your eggs. Add to your salad dressing, your pureed soups like butternut squash or broccoli basil. 

Add to your burger with a dollop of peanut butter and you’ll thank me all day long, That really is wild taste fest!

Add to your grain free biscuits or dollop on your keto pancakes or keto dutch baby. This would be so good in meatloaf!

The important thing is to keep your food life interesting enough to not fall off the food plan that you know loves you back the most. Anytime I  indulge on a special occasion and over-eat (especially carbs) I  feel it and realized I  have not exercised enough self-care.

Sugar is a special culprit that attacks my brain, as do heavy carbs. We recently had a birthday feast and I  way overdid my splurge.  The next day I had serious brain fog? Thankfully, we immediately ate light the next day ordering poke bowls for dinner. My way back is always to immediately go back to a food plan that works for me.

Ingredients for Sugar Free Maple Bacon Jam

• Bacon
• Shallots
• Butter
• Sugar Free Maple Syrup (Choc Zero)
• Swerve (why I use Swerve read here)
• Black Strap Molasses
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Grain Mustard/Dijon Mustard

What you can do with maple bacon jam is endless and I’m sure you have even better ideas than I  do.

What is Choc Zero?

I am an affiliate (earning commission) with Choc Zero, a company that provides many wonderful sugar free, low carb products. I use their chocolate chips for my keto chocolate chip cookies. I especially like their maple syrup, which I have used in my maple pecan muffins and I use in this recipe.

Add Sugar Free Maple Bacon Jam to these Dishes

• Steak Burgers
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Kale Salad with Sweet Potatoes
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
• Grain Free Biscuits
• Grain Free Sweet Potato Biscuits
• Grain Free Pancakes
• Grain Free Dutch Baby
• Grain Free Pumpkin Dutch Baby

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Sugar Free Maple Bacon Jam

Maple Bacon Jam recipe and how to use it.

Cuisine American

Keyword bacon jam, maple bacon jam, sugar free bacon jam

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 26 minutes minutes

Servings 24 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 shallots
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
• 1 teaspoon black strap molasses
• 2 tablespoons Swerve granulated
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons choc zero maple syrup or your choice of sugar free maple syrup
• 1 cup water
• Dash salt

Instructions

• Cut bacon into very small pieces. Fry until crispy. Drain. Set aside.
• In separate pan, melt butter and sautè diced shallots until softened.
• Add everything except water and bacon. Stir and cook for five minutes.
• Add bacon and water.
• Cook on very low for 45 minutes.
• Keep in refrigerator.

The post Sugar Free Maple Bacon Jam (Keto/Paleo Friendly) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I have followed Karen’s recipes for years and she’s one amazing modern comfort food cook, and I wish she lived next door!

The skin is crispy. The flavor is delicious, driven by fresh garlic, wine, herbs and butter. I substituted a tablespoon of my xanthan gel instead of flour to keep this low-carb.

Usually I roast my chicken thighs in the oven, but I really love this technique.

Ingredients for Stove Top Chicken Thighs

• bone-in, skin on chicken thighs (skin is important)
• salt
• rice or all purpose flour (I chose to leave out)
• extra virgin olive oil
• garlic cloves
• dry white wine
• shallots
• chicken broth
• Dijon mustard
• fresh thyme
• black pepper
• Equipment: Stainless Steel frying pan

Chicken thighs will get crispy if you dry them off. I usually salt my chicken a day in advance to tenderize. The chicken is removed from the the refrigerator 30-60 minutes in advance to take the chill off. Then use a paper towel to dry off the chicken to get that crispiness.

Fat, Salt and Acid

The key to tasty is a combination of fat, salt and acid. Fat can be butter or oil. Acid is something like wine, tomato, vinegar, lemon juice.

Use a good dry white wine. Karen uses pinot grigio. Whatever you do, do not use something called “cooking wine.” If that’s all you have leave it out. That is full of sodium and nasty tasting. Use lemon juice instead to replace the acid.

Always use a quality wine in cooking.

Sides for Stove Top Chicken Thighs

• Cauliflower Risotto
• Roasted Broccoli
• Cauliflower Mash
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
• Tuscan Kale Salad
• Roasted Golden Beets

I have lots and lots of idea for this comforting dish. If you want low-carb, I have over 75 low-carb veggie dishes.

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Stove Top Chicken Thighs

Made with lemon, garlic, butter, stove top chicken thighs are a great easy dinner. Adapted from Karen Tedesco, Family Style Food Cookbook.

Course Entree

Cuisine French

Keyword chicken thighs

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Salted Chicken Time 2 hours hours

Servings 36

Ingredients

• 4-6 chicken thighs
• salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves peeled
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 shallots peeled, diced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• black pepper

Instructions

• Salt chicken all over. Loosely cover with plastic. Refrigerate up to 3 days or at least a few hours if time permits.
• Take chicken out one hour prior to cooking to take chill off.
• Pat dry. If you are not avoiding grains, pat dry with flour. I didn't use the flour.
• Using a stainless frying pan or a cast iron pan, get pan hot. Pan needs to be large enough to give room to chicken thighs so they fry and not steam. You may need to do this in batches.
• Once pan is hot, add oil. Lower heat, place chicken in pan and and cook without moving (if you move chicken, skin will stick). Fry for ten minutes until you can easily turn over. Once you turn over, cook another 2-3 minutes.
• Remove chicken to a plate. Use a stainless pan for adding wine, not cast iron. You can scrap any bits into the new pan.
• Add wine, diced shallots, mustard and stir. Heat for five minutes. Add garlic cloves.
• Add chicken thighs back in and braise for 25 minutes skin side up, no lid. Add in thyme sprigs.
• Season with salt and pepper.

The post Stovetop Chicken Thighs with Wine appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

What is a Shallot?

Shallots look more like tear drops than round spheres (like onions). Their skin can be orange or red or a combination of both. They are slightly sweet, milder than onions and have just a hint of garlic. In other words, the perfect addition to a beautiful vinaigrette.

A member of the allium family, shallots are closely related to onions, garlic and chives. They are the perfect thing to use when you want a little onion, a little garlic and a little umami. I  cannot explain that extra something a shallot has over an onion, but this recipe won’t be the same trying to sub garlic or onion for this shallot vinaigrette.  Shallots have a milder taste and importantly a milder smell. 

Why Champagne Vinegar

Champagne vinegar is a mild, slightly floral vinegar very suitable for delicate lettuces, yet will deliver an umami experience, especially with shallots. You can substitute with a sherry vinegar or a white wine vinegar.

The funny thing is that while I  love shallots in a vinaigrette, I  detest raw onion in salad. Just recently I  ordered a Cobb salad that had strips of red onion hidden and lunch was ruined for me. I  can’t even take the smell of raw onion, but loved caramelized onions and grilled onions. Shallots, however, are a different story, and are always found in my pantry.

What Kind of Salads are Well Suited to Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette?

Endive salads, red cabbage salads, crunchy vegetable salads are especially suited, but any kind of green leaf lettuce salad would be fine too. I  especially love shallot vinaigrette on salads that include bacon. 

My Perfect Green Salad with Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette

This shallot vinaigrette is suitable for delicate and sturdy lettuces. If using a delicate dressing, go very lightly, adding a little at at time. I tend to keep delicate lettuces simple, adding only one extra ingredient like a sprinkle of feta, blue or goat cheese.

Shallot vinaigrette is very suitable with heavier greens, chards, kale, or romaine, and that’s the time to add in more ingredients such as nuts, apples, pears, grapes, cheese, bacon.

The Key to the Perfect Green Salad

I’m known for my salads. I am the one that brings the salad to every event, and it always disappears quickly. I can tell you why with these important tips.

• Dress and Toss the salad before serving. There’s nothing worse than being served lettuce and expected to dress it yourself. It never takes hold properly.
• Taste along the way. Delicate lettuces do not need much dressing, and do best with vinaigrettes vs. creamy dressings.
• FAT – SALT – ACID – This is a general rule of cooking and balanced taste. You get the fat from the oil, the acid, from the vinegar and lemon and you MUST USE SALT. The trick is the combination of these. Most cooks go too lightly on the acid and forget how important salt is.
• TASTE – I can’t emphasize enough how important tasting is to success. Take a piece of the lettuce you are using, and dip it into your vinaigrette and make adjustment as needed. Salt that bite before you try. Once you dress the greens, taste again. You can always add a sprinkle of vinegar if the acid seems too low.
• Practice these tips and I promise you salad will become something your family and friends love.

Ingredients for Recipe

• Champagne Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• Dijon Mustard
• Shallots
• Lemon Juice

More Vinaigrettes from Spinach Tiger

• Warm Maple Cider Vinaigrette
• Maple Vinaigrette
• Champagne Vinaigrette
• Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
• Red Wine Vinaigrette
• Chive Vinaigrette

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Shallot Vinaigrette

How to Make the Perfect Shallot Vinaigrette

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Shallot Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil more as needed
• sea salt
• pepper

Instructions

Shallot Vinaigrette

• Mix mustard, shallots, lemon juice and vinegar.
• Add oil. Shake in jar or use whisk to incorporate.
• Make sure you taste and adjust to your liking.

The post Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette for the Perfect Green Salad appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I’m a big salad eater.  Big. I will make a bowl large enough for a family and eat the whole thing. I like the crunch, the acid, the salt. It’s candy to me, without the carbs and blood sugar spike.

This brightly shredded red cabbage salad is a big bowl of happiness to me. It has crunch from the cabbage, salt from the roasted pumpkin seeds and has brightness from the mustard shallot vinaigrette

Eat the Color Purple for Super Health

The dark purple pigment in red cabbage and other purple vegetables, known as anthocyanin, is a type of phytonutrient that belongs to the flavonoid family. Flavonoids are associated with lowering cholesterol, fighting heart disease and protecting the body against oxidative stress, which will help you age more gracefully, fight cancer and protect our brains. So eat the color purple as much as you can.

Vegetables are my Dream Food and the Red Cabbage Salad Recipe is my binge food.

As spinach tiger, I’m always eating lots of vegetables. They are my dream food, but over the last few months, I was also eating too many carbs, especially for my particular body type. My body is efficient. It stores fat for later, which would have kept me alive longer than most back 1000 years ago, when food was often scarce.

The food supply in my kitchen never runs out and this efficient body, which stores fat for later, must be tricked. This is why I practice modified fasting and a lower carb diet. This kind of salad fits this life style well, as it’s low in net carbs, high in fiber and just so tasty and satisfying. Instead of grabbing chips, I grab a full forkfuls of this, which lasts in the fridge a few days.

A Mustard Shallot Vinaigrette Lends Punch to the Red Cabbage

The great thing about this red cabbage salad recipe is that you can still eat it days later. In fact, it’s better marinating overnight. Shallots gives just the right punch to the vinaigrette which soaks into the cabbage, softening it a little and creating a great flavor.

No Grains, No Pain for me.

When I originally posted this in 2017 I had cut out all grains,  and I noticed that a limp from a pain in my hip (that I had for over a year) had disappeared.   

When I  did, I  eliminated a chronic hip pain. Now I’m only eating keto friendly food and feel so much better. I’m a huge believer in reducing inflammation and it has underscored my belief in the healing and harming power of food.

When you choose not to eat grains, you don’t have to give up textures. I’d rather eat color and have big crunch with full flavor any day.

Red Cabbage Salad Recipe is Perfect for a Potluck

This is a great salad for fatty meats like ham, pork or chicken thighs. It also is perfect for tucking into tacos. This is another one of those  pot luck recipes because you can make it the night before and it will stay intact for the whole party.

You could also add in some chopped chicken for a complete salad meal! I did that one night when I got home really late and enjoyed left overs from a roast chicken.

The Oxo Spiralizer is helpful with the red cabbage salad recipe, but not necessary. You can always use a good chef’s knife to shred it.If you don’t have a spiralizer, I highly recommend getting one. I like the OXO as it is very inexpensive, works well and is easy to clean. (This is not sponsored; I just like it). 

So tell me how’s your January eating going? Do you start a plan or maybe you’re so good during the holidays you don’t need to worry.

If you like raw cabbage recipes, you’ll also love this triple crunch cabbage salad with feta cheese and marcona almonds.

You can also play around with this by adding ginger, a squeeze of orange and using sesame oil.

My Favorite Salad and Cabbage Recipes

Cauliflower Salad

Tuscan Kale Salad

Cole Slaw with Blue Cheese and Apple

Sauteed Cabbage with Bacon

Crack Slaw

Purple Cauliflower Salad Recipe with Walnut Vinaigrette

My Favorite Pork Recipes

Mock Porchetta

Spare Ribs

Itallian Roast Pork

Slow CookerPulled Pork

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Red Cabbage Salad Recipe

Make a shredded red cabbage salad recipe with a shallot vinaigrette and pumpkin seeds for a healthy, Paleo, low carb choice

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 small head red cabbage
• 1 large carrot
• 1/4 cup salted roasted pumpkin seeds may need up to 1/2 cup

Shallot Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1/4 cup prosecco white wine vinegar can use red wine or white wine or champagne vinegar
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 to 3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt
• pepper

Instructions

• Trim red cabbage and shred with either food processor, knife or spiralizer.
• Peel and trim carrot. Julienne or shred. Add to cabbage. You can use more carrot if you like. I just used a small amount for color.
• Toss cabbage with vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Toss again. Taste to make sure the cabbage is acidic enough. As it marinates, it will lose some of the acid.
• Add pumpkin seeds, reserving some for topping right before serving.

Shallot Vinaigrette

• Mix mustard, shallots, lemon juice and vinegar.
• Add oil. Shake in jar or use whisk to incorporate.
• Add dressing. You may not use all of the dressing, depending on size of head of cabbage used.

The post Red Cabbage Salad Recipe with Shallot Vinaigrette appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

By now, most of us are cooking at home and looking for new ways to perk up steak and ground beef.

This steak mushroom sauce made with red wine, and bacon is so delicious, it just might be the thing that brings a little new excitement.

You can even add this it roast beef, or use it for a meat pie or steak pie.

It can turn any cut of steak into something really special, even burger steaks.

I love a good steak like this New York Strip Steak, (my number one post).  But let’s face it we don’t always have the budget for that. On the days you make teres major (a much less expensive cut from the shoulder) or ground beef steak burgers, this sauce will turn ordinary into extraordinary.

Sauté Mushrooms Just right

I have a love hate relationship with mushrooms. They have to be cooked just right. When sautéed in bacon grease long enough to caramelize a little, they are full of flavor and the texture is right. You can use any kind of mushroom to make mushroom sauce. I like the cremini mushrooms, but plain white mushrooms will be just fine as I used below when that was all I could find.

By the way, sautéeing mushrooms with bacon and shallots might be all you need to perk up a burger, or it can be start of a steak mushroom sauce.

Can Steak Mushroom Sauce be Make Low Carb?

Yes, instead of using flour to thicken the sauce, I added a teaspoon of xanthan gum. If you don’t want to use xanthan gum, you can use a tablespoon or two of tapioca flour mixed with cold water to thicken. You could also use corn starch.

Process for the Bacon Wine Steak Mushroom Sauce

• Start with bacon,  but you can skip that if you want, or use pancetta or proscuitto.
• Use shallots over onion, but onions work fine too.
• Add about 1/4 cup red wine. You can add more or less and even skip it.
• I used a pinot noir one night and a cab another night. I prefer the cab, but both are fine. You can even use a white wine.
• If you have a nice balsamic vinegar (the syrupy kind) you could sub the wine with a few tablespoons.
• I use 1/4 teaspoon or so of xanthan gum mixed with water to act as a thickener. (low carb)
• You can use a tablespoon of flour, tapioca flour or corn starch mixed with cold water in a jar.
• Instead of a thickener, you could also add in about 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon butter.
• Or you could use sour cream with mushrooms like I did here. 

Add Bacon, Pancetta or Prosciutto to Steak Mushroom Sauce

Any of these meats, cut finely add a little bit extra. Prociutto is what I use is my Chicken Marsala and I love it, but make sure you crisp it up.

It’s important to cut bacon into small lardons and cook off any of the fat on the bacon. Add shallots and soften for a few minutes, and add mushrooms. Once the mushrooms are sauteéd to a golden color, add in broth, until it’s heated.  Add wine and cook down for about ten minutes.

How to Thicken Mushroom Sauce

Xanthan gum , can be a little pricey, but it’s also great for grain free baked goods.

Xanthan gum will give body to the sauce. I shake it up with a little water, before adding in. It turns into a gel, and doesn’t completely mix, but it will, when you add it to the mushroom mixture.  The result was creamy, mushroom wine sauce.

My Most Popular Post is How to Make a New York Strip Steak

Here are some more easy dinner ideas from Spinach Tiger

Ground Beef Stroganoff

Ground Beef Ideas for Easy Dinner

Teres Major, the Faux Filet

Cauliflower Mash

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

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Steak Mushroom Sauce

Perfect for making a less expensive cut of steak more delicious.

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Bacon Mushroom Wine Sauce

• 4 slices bacon
• 2 shallots diced
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth or beef broth
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum see notes in blog post on alternatives

Instructions

• Cut bacon into small lardons. Fry in pan that will be used for the mushroom sauce.
• Add diced shallots until softened. Cook about a minute.
• Add sliced mushrooms. Sauté until Golden.
• Add broth and wine.
• Mix xanthan gum with a little water. Shake until incorporated and add in a little at a time to thicken sauce.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve Immediately.

Notes

Read all the notes under Process in the blog post for substitutions. 

You can use 1/4 cup  heavy cream  or sour cream for an alternative keto recipe. 

You can use tablespoon flour/cold water shaken in jar to thicken.

You can use tapioca starch or corn starch.

 

The post Steak Mushroom Sauce with Wine and Bacon appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Cauliflower rice is the new healthy option side dish. I discovered recently I can make an amazing chicken and rice dish with it as long as I understand a few things about cauliflower.

Cauliflower rice can be great or not good at all. Let’s be honest. It can be boring, tasteless, not satisfying, unless you build the flavors and not spare the fat and salt. Once you nail this, options are wide open for a dish like this Chicken and Cauliflower Rice.

A few weeks ago, I had this idea to make comfort food. I made chicken and rice using cauliflower. Using a food processor, I riced cauliflower and baked it in the oven with chicken thighs that had bones and skin. This helped with  flavor and fat.

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There are a few ways to approach this dish and make cauliflower rice that will deliver comfort food satisfaction.

You can brown your chicken first which is another step or place it on the cauliflower raw skin side up. The underneath of the chicken pieces don’t get as browned as I would like. You can turn them over for a few minutes to brown. This is the only problem I find when baking raw chicken over vegetables, etc. It’s not going to brown, so it’s worth taking the few minutes to brown over a high heat in a frying pan prior to baking.

When it comes to cauliflower rice, I typically add flavor and sauté with butter and onion, salt, pepper and herbs on top of the stove. I do that often, but in this recipe, I bake it like a real chicken and rice dish so that the fat from the chicken skin permeates the cauliflower rice and creates this most amazing comfort food. The cauliflower will reduce in size quite a bit, but it will soak up all that flavor. I suggest using a whole cauliflower for this or at least 4 cups.

How to Make Cauliflower Rice

You can now buy cauliflower rice frozen, but I like to make my own. I can get so much more from one cauliflower. However, you can still make this with the pre-bought cauliflower rice. (Costco sells big bag of Green Giant at a good value).

Use a food processor. Take off the bottom core, and cut into large pieces, and process until a little larger than rice size.

Every kitchen needs a food processor and it doesn’t have to be expensive. I like this one.

You can make a lot of cauliflower rice in mere minutes and freeze what you don’t want to use.

Boost the flavor of the cauliflower rice. It needs fat, salt and acid. I snuck in a little white wine in the broth.

Sauté a dice of onion and celery first in butter (or oil), then quickly added the cauliflower and a cup of frozen peas. Instead of peas, you could use sausage (which I might do next time), to further boost the flavors. Then put this into a large baking dish and add chicken. Bake at 375 until the chicken is done (165 degrees F. ) and crispy on top.

More Chicken Thigh Recipes from Spinach Tiger

More Low Carb Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Chicken Thighs with Olives

Chicken Thighs with Peppers

Chicken Thighs with 40 Cloves Garlic

Print

How to Make Cauliflower Rice for Chicken and (Cauliflower) Rice Dish

Delicious Low Carb Comfort Food. How to Make Cauliflower Rice and Make Chicken and Rice.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 pieces of chicken
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1 head cauliflower or 4 cups of frozen riced cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons Irish butter or healthy oil
• 3 shallots diced (or 1/2 cup diced onion)
• 1 cup frozen peas optional: skip if doing keto
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or fresh thyme
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

• Trim cauliflower and cut into large pieces.
• Place in a food processor and pulse until the pieces are slightly larger than actual rice.
• Brown chicken on medium to high heat, just enough to brown the skin.
• Saute shallots in butter on top of stove in large cast iron pan or pan that can be put directly into oven. (see notes).
• Add to cauliflower/
• Stir in Cauliflower rice and frozen peas.
• Add herbs and season with salt, pepper.
• Place chicken on top of rice. Place in oven.
• Bake for about 40 minutes at 375 until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. and skin is golden.

Notes

This is a one pan dish if you have a large cast iron frying pan or shallow enameled cast iron pan. However, if you don't, transfer cauliflower rice and chicken onto a shallow baking pan before baking.

The post Low Carb One Pan Chicken and Cauliflower Rice appeared first on Spinach Tiger.